Mail-bag catcher



i To all whom it may concern section.

RICHARD H. BAIELNTTZ, OF WASHINGTON, 013 COLUMBIA.

HEATED-BAG GATCHER.

f fi, ,1t:lti,ti32. Specification of Letters Patent.

Zita-tented lttay 23, 192432.

Application filed December 16, 1920. Serial No. 431,149.

lie it known that I, lIiIliCI-IARD H; Bennrrz, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing" at ashing-ton city, in theDistrict of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in h lail-Bag Catchers, ofwhichthe'v following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag catchers and the devices for mountingthe same upon the door frames o'lmail cars, and it has for its objectthe production of a fork and mounting comprising parts o'ifspecialconstruction and arrangement whereon the fork,

always relatively heavy and cumbersome to handle, may be partiallysupported both while placing the same in operating position, and uponremoving the same from the door of the car.

This 1nvent1on,cons1sts of looks or carriers piivotally supported uponthe frame of the car door and having passages permitting thelongitudinal and rotary movement of the straight end portions of thefork, with devices for limiting those movements, as well as for stoppingthe horizontal movements oil? the blocks 111 elther direction atpredetermined points.

In the accompanying draw ngs the construction and arrangement of theparts of this invention are illustrated, and Fig. 1

represents the :lrame of a car door to which this invention. has beenapplied. The view is taken looking towards the door. Fig. .2 is asomewhat enlarged view oi one of the anipporting or il'jorloinoililtingdevices shown in; Fig. 1, a portioiro t. theblocl; being lnoh-en away todisclose the passage through itq For the passage of the straight endportions oi? the torlr. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross section of the cardoor traine showing one side thereoi somewhat enlarged with the devicefor holding the fork constructed in accordance with this inventionapplied thereto. This view is taken upon the broken line 33 of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section on the broken line 4 4 of Fi 1 ofone side of the car door frame showingthe invention attached thereto andalso in 5 is a side view of one of the mounting devices shown on theright hand sidein Fig. 1', the fork being removed, and the view beingtaken from the left hand side oil the device. Fig. 6 is a like view ofthe same mounting devlce shown in F 5, the

View being taken from the right hand side, and the: butt end of thestraight portion ot 1 end portion next to the mounting as set out inFig. 1.

The straight portion of the fork is mounted upon the car door frame bymeans of devices comprising each a plate or base D, carrying a pivot pind which passes through flanges E, e projecting from the plate D, andthrough the block F that is pivotally held by the pin between thesaidrflanges. The block may be swung out and in hori- Zontally. As bestshown in, Fig. 2 the block F has the passage f extending through it toermit the longitudinal and rotary movements of the straight member orportion of the fork marked l". Each oi": the pivoted hloeltsor carriersdescribed herein has a U rubber cushion ill: with which the strike 7.

contacts. That contact limits the l'iorizontal movement of the block Fin one direction, and the stop 72 best illustrated in Fig. i:

shows one method of stopping the move ment of the blockiu the otherdirection.

(,lonsidering llig s. 5 and. (3 there will be noted the mounting ortorlt-sup imrting device shown on the right hand side oi. the car doorframe in Fig. 1. As explained for the first mentioned mounting, thisdevice comprises a plate or base J, having a pivot pin 7' passingthroughflanges K and h pro jeeting from the plate and through the block orcarrier Ii which block may thus be swung horizontallyout and in upon thepin. The passage through the block L for the straight end or the tort;is marked hit, and it has a slot m running lengthwise tin-(nigh it. Thepassage M intendedv to movably admit the butt end portion hl ot thestraight portion 1% of the fork, and it will be noted that the throughthe slot m and free the butt end of the fork when the end is turned intothe proper predetermined position. The lug n of the butt N also meetsthe stop 0 which is carried by the block L in the path of the lug n. Thestop 0 is alike in position, formation and function to the stoppreviously mentioned herein.

To explain the operation of this inven tion, let it be assumed that thefork is in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, that is to say, thehandle is in a vertical position, and the inclined member C hangs downagainst the car door frame. d hen it is desired to catch a mail bag, thehandle I) is grasped, and the fork turned until the inclined member (lprojects outwardly from the car door. The fork is new in catchingposition, and when it reaches that. attitude, the lug it meets the stop0 and tie fork is stopped and may be held the proper place for thepurpose of catching the bag. Next, let it be assinned that itis desiredto remove the fork from the car door. The butt is turned until the lugit may be passed through the slot in in the passage M of the pivotedblock L. The straight portion of the fork ll is now moved to the leftuntil. the butt N is free from the block L. It will here be noted thatthe end of the straight portion 13 of the fork is supported by the blockF and a considen able part of. the weight of the fork is still carriedby that block. The operator now moves thebutt of the form into the car,the block F swinging corresoondingly, and withdraws the end of the fork.In replacing the fork the end of the straight portion 13 is againintroduced through the block F and a considerable part of the weight ofthe fork is thereby supported while it is being remounted upon the cardoor frame A. lVhen the block F swings inwardly towards the car, itsmovement is limited by contact with the angular stop 72 shown in Fig.4', and

when the block is swung outwardl v the strike end g and rubber cushionl-l meet as stated.

Having now explained this invention and the mode of its operation, whatI claim is 1. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a fork havingstraight portion, of devices for mounting the fork by engagement withsaid straight portion comprising a plate or base having projectingflanges, a block pivotally supported between the flanges of the plateand having a passage admitting the said straight portion of the ork andwhereon the fork may be swung into the car, means for supportingthe buttof the said straight portion of the fork, the said supporting means andthe said butt having devices for limiting the rotary and longitudinalmovements of said butt.

2. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a fork having a straightportion, o f do vices for mounting the fork by engagement with saidstraight iortion comprising a plate or base. a block pivotall supportedby the said plate and having: a passage adinitting the said straightportion of the fork and whereou the fork may be swung into the car,means for supporting): the butt end portion of the fork, the saidsupporting means and the said butt having derices for limiting therotary and longitudinal movements of the butt.

In a mail bag catcher. the combination with a fo k having! a straightportion. piv-- otal means for supporting the end of the said straightportion whereon the fork nnrv be swung); into the car, the saidsupporting;' means having; a pas age permitting the longritudinalmovement of the said straight port on of the fo k. means for niouni'urthe butt end of the said stra ght portion 0on1- prising a plate or base.a block pivotallv sup ported by the plate and having! a passageadinittin the said butt. the said supportiiur means and the said butthaving devil-es for limiting the rotarv and hmgitudinal movements of thesaid butt.

t. in a mail bag); catcl'ier. the combination with the forl: llzlYlUfi astraight portion, pivotal means for supporting; the end of the saidstraight portion where-1m the fork inav be swunginto the ear. means formounting the butt end of the said straight portion of the forkcomprising a plate or base. a bloi-k pivotally sup iiorijed by the saidplate and havii'zpj a, passage :uhnitting the said bolt the said passagehaving a slot ovloiidiirn lengg thwise through it. the aid butt having ain constructed to pass through the slot and free the butt when in apredoha'niinod position, and the said blorl; having a stop arranged inthe path of the said lug; of the butt to limit the rotary movement ofthe butt.

in testin'iony whereof I allix in signature.

